Resetting the Rules of Engagement - Trends and Issues in Military–Humanitarian Relations

The relationship between humanitarian and military actors has changed considerably in the past decade. Military functions have expanded beyond traditional war-fighting to encompass a range of tasks related to humanitarian goals, including support for humanitarian and rehabilitation efforts and the protection of civilians. As a result, interaction between the military and humanitarian aid providers has grown, raising difficult questions about the relationship between the two.
The military’s role in providing humanitarian assistance and protection to civilians in crises is not a recent phenomenon. One of the largest relief efforts in history, the Berlin Airlift, took place over half a century ago, in 1948. Since then, military forces have regularly been involved in crisis responses in countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq and Sudan. In addition, the Red Cross tradition and the foundations of international humanitarian law are both based on a deal brokered between civilian and military actors in the mid- nineteenth century.